The SNP doesn’t stand up for Scots, it fails them

It is wholly regrettable for Scotland that the SNP has been allowed to claim that they speak for the whole country. When viewing this from an outsider’s perspective, I cannot help but wince at how petulant, spineless and robotic the nationalists are. Under their rule, I am embarrassed to be Scottish.

The most recent reason to justify such embarrassment surrounds the issue of the SNP bloc of MPs walking out of Prime Minister’s Questions. Rather than being highly principled, as SNP MPs clearly see themselves in the mirror, their actions were more comical than heartening.

It was Ian Blackford who, after arguing with John Bercow about why a debate over the non-existent “Tory power-grab” was apparently necessary, was asked to leave the chamber. Unsurprisingly, like a herd of pigs being driven over a cliff into the sea, the remaining SNP MPs followed suit.

How, then, can the SNP pride themselves on being “the voice for Scotland”? They say that only they can be stronger together for Scotland. How exactly is that achieved by ridding Parliament of Scottish voices? Is petulant, child-like whining really the way to be the strong backbone of a nation?

The SNP are the antithesis of what they supposedly pride themselves on being. They have been exposed as headline attention seekers who aim to get their illogical and separatist agenda over to the people of Scotland through the means of a sulk.

This action demonstrates one crucial issue with the SNP: their complete unwillingness to co-operate with the UK Government. At a time of such political uncertainty, co-operation should act as a key to success and stubbornness should be placed on the back-burner.

The nationalists completely reject this idea. By recently instructing their MSPs – and MSPs from Labour, the Liberal Democrats, and the Greens – to vote against the EU Withdrawal Bill, their obdurate nature has been highlighted. The SNP would rather influence the creation of a constitutional crisis before deciding to side with the UK Government.

However, not only do they blatantly reject the democratic will of UK voters, but an opportunity to push back or delay progress regarding Brexit is never missed. Ian Blackford himself stated that he would “make sure we can frustrate as much as we possibly can what the Government is doing.”

Alongside this, the SNP will likely begin to increase their demands for another independence referendum in Scotland if they deem that a “bad” final Brexit deal has been signed. This is despite the fact that the Scottish people made a clear decision regarding independence back in 2014.

It makes you as the question: does the SNP actually like democracy? The answer is simple: it is not a matter of public opinion, it is either the SNP’s way, or no way at all.

It is easy to see why they admire the European Union. When unpopular decisions are made, EU officials are often desperate to keep trying until they receive the answer they desire.

Leaving the SNP’s conduct aside, their policies have been equally as shameful. More pupils in Scotland are leaving primary school illiterate and unable to perform basic maths skills. Scots face drastic tax hikes while waiting times for the NHS are profoundly longer than they ever have been. The expansion of super-fast broadband infrastructure to the rural areas of Scotland is also five years behind schedule. The SNP are running Scotland into the ground. Reasonable Scots are desperate for this to come to an end.

Scotland is in dire need of change. Scotland deserves a government that is optimistic about a future within the Union and what Brexit can offer us as a nation. It requires a government that can co-operate, understand and respect the democratic will of the people. A government that can look at challenges and turn them into opportunities.

Scotland deserves better than the SNP. At the next election, it is time to get Nicola Sturgeon out of power and replace her with Ruth Davidson – someone who can undo the mess that has been created by the nationalists. It is the Scottish Conservative Party that can give me a reason to be proud of my country again.